The Cactus Academy

I feel bad about this because the student was sooo nice and tried so hard. I already had blonde highlights, needed a root touch up and this was my opportunity to go blonde all together. It must be done in steps. I asked to match the highlights as my two previous touch ups. We looked at the chart together and she insisted the color I chose was too light so she sugested a darker color (says it would lighten and oxidize in time). She also asked the teacher and she agreed to use a particular level… I think it was 6. She kept on saying dont worry, dont worry. Well, my roots came out a medium brown and now I have to start all over again to get blonde. Just ridiculous. I should have really insisted on her choosing a lighter shade for the touch up. I dont know if the instructors know what they are doing. They use a Paul Mitchell protocol without thinking that everyone pulls hair color differently and no one wanted to listen to me.

The worst experience from start to finish! The «woman» who booked my appointment incorrectly booked it, so I was unable to receive the services I wanted. She also have me a 5:00 appointment time, but my appointment was for 5:15. Regardless, my hair stylist, Megan, was very friendly and greeted me at 5:15. She colored and cut my hair and then the teacher cut wayyyyyyyyyyy more than I wanted which was my fear in the first place. The whole experience took 5 hours for color and cut! My hair is extremely dark and short, both of which I hate.
When I went to pay, the cashier was the MOST DISGUSTING individual. She wouldn’t honor my Groupon because THEY made a mistake when booking. Instead of apologizing or using reason, she gave me an attitude. She grabbed my phone and marked my Groupon redeemed before I was ready to use it. (I still need hi lights). I will never come back to this «salon.» Paul Mitchell should be ashamed to have his name associated with people like this.
The facility is falling apart, as well. The sinks all clogged and the ceiling had holes in it. What a mess!

I love coming here! Everyone is always so friendly and listens to how you want your hair cut! I will warn you leave plenty of time and plan accordingly because you will be there for about 2 hours. Yes that is very long but they really take their time and it is so worth it, especially for the price! Youll never leave second guessing what products were used, everything is explained and straight forward. I have even asked whoever was doing my hair some tips on blow drying, feel free to ask anything everyone is so friendly!

I have been here 3x for hilites. The best part of this place are prices and quality of the products. My hair has looked & felt great after each time. I’ve had mixed feelings on receptionists. Sometimes very friendly other times not. The biggest con is how long everything takes. I’ve spent 5+ hours each time. They’ve never taken me at my appointment time. Even after getting seated late it’s still a wait before anything gets done to your hair. The students I have dealt with Cristina & Jessica are very talented. There are great talents working there and inexperienced students who are very insecure with their work leaving a client apprehensive. I’ve also witnessed several times different instructors telling students contradicting methods to what they were working on, which I’m sure is frustrating to the student. Overall I feel like the place is very hit or miss, but luckily my final outcome of leaving with great hair has always happened.

I went here a few times for a cut and color. I love it! The one thing I’m not a fan of is how long it takes, but I can look past it for the few times I actually go. I went to the front desk and told them I wanted an appointment. They gave me a tour of where everything was and what each station does (part of their grade is doing this) and explaining the process to you. I got my hair cut, fixed up (in an awkward length of growing a side cut out) and colored. My hair came out looking so great. I would definitely go back.

I went here hoping for the following results:
a) Trim away ALL dead ends
b) Obtain a new hairstyle
c) Leave with a fresh cut and style
I received the following:
a) No fresh style
b) Dead ends still lurking about
c) a Nice blow out — but I also could have done it myself in half the time.
d) A HUGE WASTE OF TIME (but not $, it was only $ 20.00) The shampoo & condition took about an hour and then the cut and style was another lengthy hour and a half.
I am aware that this is a school, but these girls need more confidence in what they’re doing. I had Erica, a nice young lady, but she kept second guessing herself. I’m not terribly picky with my hair, but the minimum I would have liked was ALL DEAD ENDS ERADICATED.
The price was $ 20.00 for all of it. Which is decent because students are practicing on you, and it beats getting a sucky cut from somewhere else for $ 60.00 minimum + tip. Especially around where I live, prices are ridiculous for something so simple such as a trim with no styling needed and no anything else needed.
If anyone can recommend something, that would be awesome, and I’d gladly give it a go. The furthest I’ve gone for a good price and good cut was Flushing, NY — but that’s far for me to travel to in horrible snow-​storm weather.
If you decide to try this place out:
a) Have at least 3 hours of time to kill
b) Bring a neck brace for the hair washing. I felt like mine was going to snap off!
c) Something lengthy to ponder on while your cutter is indecisive about how to make the cut and calls over his/​her supervisors.
Some side notes for Erica — If she reads this:
Be more confident. You knew what you were doing but you were too lazy to prove it. Listen and watch more closely to your supervisors’ actions when they demonstrated things. It’s like you were there but your eyes were rotated to the back of your head. Pay attention, and you will succeed.
You mentioned you have family in the same business and they’re very successful, I’m sure you will be fine if it’s in the blood. :)
Best of luck and wishing you better cuts. I already know you can style.

I really want to like this place. I have been here twice: once for a style (curls) and once for a basic color. The first trip went okay– I got tighter curls than I asked for but it ended up being okay because they looked good by the time my event started later that night.
The second trip, for the color, lasted FIVE HOURS. I totally understand that this is a school, but someone has to work on the time management in this place. My girl did a great job and was super sweet and friendly, but I was on the verge of years several times. I almost walked out work wet hair because I was so frustrated. I was happy with my hair until after I washed it the first time, when I noticed that all of the color washed out from my roots, leaving me with gray hairs and natural roots. I’m going back to get it fixed and that WILL be the last time I go, especially becaus they plan to charge me for the supples that they used tonight.
If you have crazy patience, go for it. Do not go if you are looking for a quick cut. My friend got her cuts and it took 3 and a half hours.

A failed mission to find the perfect pairs of boots, coupled with boredom, led me down the stairs to the basement to check out The Cactus Academy. One look in the mirror of my ‘poor girl ombré’ and I was signing away my appearance to the hands of a cosmetology student.
At the front desk, the associate let me know the dye job would take a couple of hours, time I definitely had to kill. Fifteen minutes later, a spritely, eager eyed girl walked up to me, shook my hand and introduced herself to me. She gave me a quick tour of the rooms and seated me. After signing more paperwork we got to work discussing the color I wanted. I chose 5R, a dark red. Just as we were about to go ahead with the color, an idea popped into her head to use the Paul Mitchell’s new (isn) Shines XG, demi-​permanent, no ammonia color. She explained she has never used this but saw the results of from someone else the other day.
I indulged her and let her try it out on me.
I am so glad I let her, because she was super talented and my color came out stunning.
First she washed my hair, then dried it (I felt a bit bad at this because I had very long, insanely thick curly hair…) and then she got to dyeing it. Because I have so much hair she used 2 ½ bowls. She wasn’t going to charge me for the extra bowl (s) as she put two in one, but she ended up having to when she had to make an extra dye. I thanked her for her consideration.
The process takes only 25 minutes to set in.
We washed out the color, and she blew it to have those lovely big Kardashian curls.
It was truly beautiful.
She was also lovely to chat too. She told me that she took up becoming a hair style to fund her other dream, becoming an equestrian trainer. It costs a lot of money and she said she had to give her dream up for a bit while she pursues her license. I really hope she gets what she wants.
Other than the two and a half hours it took, I can’t say my experience was bad in the slightest. I gave her a nice tip and bought color treated shampoo and STILL spent less than I would’ve at a salon.
If you have the time definitely give them a whirl. Remember you are entrusting students so you should exercise patience.
Will definitely come back.

Remember this is a school… because they will constantly remind you too. I booked a highlight and trim. It took 15 mins to get seated. My FOILS took 4+ hrs (I got there at 1:15) and I have shoulder length hair (1^st girl dipped claiming sick aka too nervous). The girl I ended up with was a sweetheart and her manager helped also, but then I waited another 10 while the new girl got situated. While my color looks great, I needed the trim which was what prompted the visit. I spoke with a few different managers who refused to let their students stay after 5 meanwhile I was there until 5:30pm. I said «SuperCuts does my trim 20 mins, you’re a Paul Mitchell Pro claiming as a MANAGER you can’t do it quick?! Could’ve used the 25 mins in the time I waited for a stylist and the swap». I work as a manager and I know what pushing someone out to close up to go home is… I had to literally admit I’m sick and wanted ONE DAY of beauty after I’ve been in and out of the hospital for months and CRIED. Only then did they do the right thing by me – gave me a free haircut to return anytime, lots of samples, and 30% off my bill. Meanwhile the girl up front helping me whispered this happened ALL THE TIME.
Point is – foil and trims take 2 ½ hrs tops being a salon going vet you know that. It’s the managers job to make sure these girls are ready to be on the floor and understand every minute in that chair is a minute away from your client’s day. And if you close at 5 be done by 5. I see others have had issues too in these other reviews meaning I won’t be back for that haircut. I think I’ll pay the extra $ 75 to keep my same girl I’ve used for years. Silly me for trying to save $ and help out a local school. My boyfriend put it best: You get what you pay for.

I was there a year ago for a trim and it came out ok, nothing special, but for the price I was satisfied and went there again. I also recommended it to my grandmother who wanted to get an affordable perm all for my law school graduation. Both were terrible mistakes.
I had long hair, to my chest. I said I wanted to take 1 or 2 inches off tops, to be healthy but to maintain length. I brought in a picture. The stylist clearly had never cut hair before. I know for the price you get students but they were very busy (it was a Saturday in May) and the teachers were not paying attention. Eventually the stylist starts. When a teacher comes way more is cut off my hair because the stylist cut my hair crooked. I can’t tell what’s going on though and no one shows me. 3 hours later I“m showed my hair. It is a bob, about an inch higher than my shoulders, way shorter than I said. I pay and leave but am very upset. The stylist clearly doesn’t care.
As I’m about to leave I’m mad and decide to go back and demand my money back. When I do so, a supervisor herself cut my hair and was nice and at least gave my bland bob some shape. The whole time they tried to placate me and it did look good for a short cut. I did appreciate it. However, it was still ridiculously shorter than I asked for and it doesn’t excuse the poor management and clearly poor training the stylist had. Though she was a student, she clearly wasn’t ready to cut even a mannequin’s hair. She also had an attitude problem and clearly didn’t care about being nice at all. I can’t help but wonder that no one cared my hair was so poorly cut until I came back demanding my money, crying and mad.
My poor grandma went there and they gave her a perm that barely had any curl in it and she was there for 6 hours.
I will never come here again and wouldn’t recommend it to anyone ever again.

DO NOT GO HERE! Worst (and longest) haircut of my life!
Start with a photo of ombré highlights for inspiration, get told your current hair is «silly» and «ridiculous» and that your inspiration would only be doable with 4 – 5 dye sessions (at $ 50 a pop…). OK, say just a haircut will be fine. Get told that it’s been decided to just dye your hair a color, until you repeatedly say no. Get told that what you (and every magazine) calls layers is actually not a thing. Get half of haircut for 3 hours (1 pm-​4 pm… sadly not exaggerating). Tell them you will have to leave the salon eventually (crazy, right?), and be forced to not only get a blowdry but a marketing speech on Paul Mitchell. Leave salon with two different lengths of hair on your left and right side.
TWO DIFFERENT LENGTHS! People!

Their tea tree products feel great in my hair. The staff if typically friendly and do a great job. It takes a long time because they’re students so don’t expect to get in and out quickly but for the price, totally worth it.

Worst experience of my life. Made an appointment for a simple touch up and glaze. I have black hair and didn’t think it was possible for anyone to mess that up. Spent 5 hours there only to leave with brown/​orange roots (not even my natural hair color). The stylist didn’t even tell me she had made a mistake, so I left the salon and and soon as I saw what she did to my hair, I went back and spent another hour fixing it. They only fixed part of my hair and I had to make an additional appointment l fix the rest. They tried to charge me for fixing my hair the third time and I had to call their corporate office to have the fee waved. The third an last time I went to have it fixed, they were still unable to fix what they had done. I had to go to another salon and have it redone. The customer service is beyond horrible. Do not go there for any reason if you can avoid it.

had my dreadlocks worked on here the girl who worked on them did a great job to bad she didn’t have enough time to finish working on them cause of the school’s time constraints but she gave me her number so I could hit her up to see what would be a good time for her to finish working on my dreads. she can contacted here